With a 89,000 km long coastline, Europe is a maritime continent which derives huge societal benefits from its seas and oceans. Coastal regions host almost half the population of EU countries with a sea border. To consolidate and reinforce the sustainable use of its marine waters and to meet the grand challenges and opportunities of the future, Europe has developed holistic policies, including the Integrated Maritime Policy and its environmental pillar, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. To support the implementation of these policies Europe will need to invest more in marine research and technology. The "Ostend Declaration", a statement that will be prepared and discussed by Europe’s marine science experts and policy makers at the occasion of the high-level EurOCEAN 2010 Conference in Ostend (12-13 October 2010), will outline the research and policy needs for the next decade.

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